New PNP chief Albayalde will follow Duterte on submitting drug war report to SC

The new chief of the Philippine National Police will also take his cue from President Rodrigo Duterte on whether or not the PNP will submit reports on the conduct of the war on drugs to the Supreme Court as the high tribunal ordered.

"Before umalis si chief PNP nakipagugnayan pa 'yan sa Office of the Solicitor General and I think they made another MR (Motion for Reconsideration) on that, so it's still pending, sa korte 'yan kung anong magiging decision," Director General Oscar Albayalde said at his first press briefing as the 22nd PNP chief.

"But then again sabi ko nga we'll take orders coming from our commander in chief, malay mo even without the Supreme court Order, baka sabihin niya, 'o sige.' But as of this time, meron pang motion na ginagawa yung ating Office of the Solicitor General," he added.

Just a day before he retired as the 21st PNP chief, Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said that he had already signed a letter to the Office of the Solicitor General, asking it to request for more time from the high court as the reports needed to submit are "voluminous."

On April 3, SC spokesman Theodore Te said the high court has directed the government, including the PNP chief, to turn in the reports within a period of 15 days from notice.

The 15-day deadline came after the SC denied Solicitor General Jose Calida's motion to reconsider the high court's December 2017 order calling on the PNP to submit official reports on the drug war.

In December, the SC asked the government to submit a list of persons killed in legitimate police operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of deaths under investigation from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of Chinese and Filipino-Chinese drug lords who have been neutralized; and list of drugs involved whether shabu, cocaine, marijuana, opioids, etc.; and comparative tables on index crimes.

The SC also wanted to obtain statistics of internal cleansing within the police force; drug watch list in affected areas; reports and documents regarding alleged drug war victims Aileen Almora, Rowena Aparri, and Jefferson Soriano; pre- and post-operation reports in all the incidents cited in the petition filed by Sister Ma. Juanita Daño's group; number of buy-bust incidents in San Andres Bukid, Manila from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017; list of warrants and warrantless arrests in high-value target police operations; and list of cases under investigation under the PNP's Internal Affairs Service.

In his appeal, Calida said submitting these documents will compromise ongoing police anti-drug operations and put at risk the lives of informants—a claim that the SC said was "ridiculous." —NB, GMA News